This post is a result of two "coincidences": I recently read the end of Hebrews, and Brain Games last night was about why humans are superstitious. First, note this passage. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by foods, since those involved in them have not benefited. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle do not have a right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the most holy place by the high priest as a sin offering are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that He might sanctify the people by His own blood. Let us then go to Him outside the camp, bearing His disgrace. For we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come. -- Hebrews 13:8-14 In addition to being profound on so many levels, the author of Hebrews has something very pointed to say to all of us who have brought in superstitions into our religions.
Holy Trips to Holy Relics at Holy Sites One of my favorite resources is Adolf Harnack's History of Dogma. Yes, he has an ax to grind, but his insights are still mostly brilliant. In particular to this blog post, he traced how the Constantinian church assimilated a number of pagan practices in order to assimilate the pagans who practiced them. Over time, those practices became Roman Catholic tradition. For our purposes, the emphasis is on holy relics and holy sites. {Important aside: the word "holy" properly means "set apart"; in this context, however, "holy" seems to mean nothing more than "connected with a person who is connected with God." Note the difference.} First, to be safe, some definitions specific to the context of the mythos surrounding the holy grail. The word "holy" properly means "set apart"; in this context, however, "holy" seems to mean nothing more than "connected with a person who is connected with God." A "relic" is a physical remain of a holy person, an object touched by said holy person, or a place where that person did something important. Relics are housed in "reliquaries" and the physical site where they are kept is considered holy as well. The journey one takes to visit one of these holy sites to see a relic is called a "pilgrimage." All relics are assumed to have miraculous powers by virtue of their connection with said holy person who, according to Roman Catholic theology, could give us access to the grace and power of God. In other words, a relic is a conduit to God, much like a sacrament. All good? Anyway, let's be generous and say that the basis for their/our fascination with relics comes from the New Testament. In Matthew 9:20-22, we read the story of a woman who touched the hem of Jesus' cloak and was healed of her bleeding (even though Jesus said that her faith, not His garment, made her well). In Acts 5:16, it is said that people lined the streets with the sick and lame hoping that Peter's shadow would fall on them (the assumption is that they were healed, although the text doesn't actually say that). The idea is, for example, that if Jesus' garment still existed today, it would still have the power to heal, even though Jesus no longer wears it. The power resides in the object itself (where we get the idea of residual).
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AuthorIf I ever say something in here that doesn't make sense, please ask me to clarify. It always makes sense in my head, but that doesn't necessary mean anything to you . . . Categories
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